'We are moving to a new phase,' says Simon Harris as TDs question private hospital costs in pandemic
Health Minister Simon Harris has told the Dáil we are moving into a “new phase” in the fight against Covid-19 and there would have been 12,300 deaths by last week if infections were not controlled.
But Opposition TDs want secret deals to take over private hospital facilities at a cost of hundreds of millions of euro made public while there are also growing calls to resume health screening services.
Mr Harris faced several questions this afternoon as the country prepares to start easing lockdown restrictions next week.
A number of TDs have concerns about the €115m spent taking over private hospitals during the pandemic and whether this is good value for money. Others say there should be no return to a two-tier health system.
Opening the debate, Mr Harris highlighted the progress made in stopping the virus but also cautioned about the days ahead, when travel, work and social restrictions will be eased.
“Our modelling work shows that 12,300 lives would have been lost by this day last week if the infection rate had continued as it was. As a country we can be proud of what we have achieved.
“I can update the House that the reproduction rate, or R nought, that we have become familiar with is now in the range 0.4 to 0.6.
The number of hospitals admissions per day has fallen again from 20 a day when I was here last week to 15 a day. ICU admissions are also now averaging around 1-2 per day from 4-6 a day two weeks ago.
“We are moving to a new phase in our response but we must we must be honest with people about the impacts this will have.
“Every movement carries increased risk of exposure to this virus.”
But Fianna Fáil health spokesman Stephen Donnelly questioned the value for money in continuing to use and pay for private health facilities.
He called for an “end" to the €115m monthly spend on this, claiming limited numbers of patients were being moved across into these facilities while many doctors had not signed up from the private sector.
Rise TD Paul Murphy also claimed he had been denied details of deals to control the private hospitals, for 'commercial' reasons.
The TD said there was an issue with “transparency” when hundreds of millions of euro was being handed over to people, including businessmen Denis O'Brien and Larry Goodman, both of whom have significant ownerships in private healthcare facilities.
Mr Harris said there would be significant oversight over these deals, with the spending watchdog the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee and independent accountants who would all assess these spends.
